Midnight at Hogwarts wasn’t nearly as beautiful as Hermione had imagined, nor was it anything like how the red-haired twins had described it—fun and exciting. That was her honest opinion in this moment.
As she walked along the corridor, she found herself constantly on edge, worried they might run into someone at the next corner—especially the caretaker Mr. Filch, who was rumored to enjoy punishing students, and his ever-present cat, Mrs. Norris.
But maybe luck was on their side tonight. They’d made it all the way outside the castle without any trouble.
At least, that’s how it was supposed to go...
...
The night sky was scattered with stars—an enchanting scene that might’ve made her sleepy in a future Divination class.
But right now, Hermione could only think of how beautiful it looked.
Her earlier nerves and unease began to settle beneath that painted canvas of stars. At least she wasn’t as tense as she had been just moments ago.
She glanced around, then quietly spoke toward the empty space ahead.
“Are we rushing this?”
“What, you want to stop and admire the night sky?”
“That’s not what I meant! I’m talking about the plan!”
Her low voice, laced with frustration and embarrassment, slipped out before she could stop it.
For some reason, Hermione always lost her composure more easily around Draco.
But setting aside Draco’s teasing, she genuinely didn’t think this was the right time to go through with their plan.
“Haven’t you heard? The punishment for that fight was announced. They’re sending students to help Hagrid investigate the Forbidden Forest. I don’t know why they’d choose something like that. Even for a punishment, it’s far too dangerous.”
Honestly, when she first heard the details, Hermione thought she’d misheard.
No matter what, surely they wouldn’t involve students in something like that?
Others might not know, but Hermione did—she knew what had happened in the Forbidden Forest.
Though they hadn’t explained the investigation to the students, Hermione was sure it was tied to the unicorns Hagrid and the centaurs had discussed before. That’s why the decision unsettled her so much.
It didn’t sit right...
“Goyle mentioned it to me. If I’m not mistaken, the Gryffindor students are Longbottom and that foolish Weasley, right?”
“Th... fine, you’re not wrong. Ron actually wanted Harry to go with him, and Harry... agreed.”
“Heh.”
Draco let out a laugh.
“What? Did I say something funny?”
“You really think the professor would allow that? What, are they planning to sneak along behind them?”
“...”
“...”
Hermione noticed Draco had stopped and was now looking in her direction. She instinctively turned her head away—but then remembered he couldn’t see her under the Disillusionment Charm, so she looked forward again.
Draco didn’t know, but Hermione did. She knew that Harry had received a mysterious gift over the holidays—a magical item that would let him sneak along undetected.
That was Harry’s secret, though, so Hermione stayed silent.
But that wasn’t the only reason she hesitated.
Because she suspected Harry had already used it.
Not long ago...
“It seems our Chosen One has his own way of doing things.”
“Y-yeah… I guess.”
Hermione’s hesitant tone made Draco frown. After a brief pause, he gave her hand a tug and started moving again.
He didn’t know what she was holding back, but he wasn’t going to push. Draco was fairly tolerant—at least toward wizards he respected.
But then, Hermione suddenly froze in place.
She’d been relaxed just moments ago, but now she was standing rigid, like she’d seen something terrifying...
Why?
Why was Professor McGonagall here?
...
She held her breath. Stopped dead.
“We’ve been caught!”
“Are we going to be expelled?”
“What do I do? What do I do?!”
As Professor McGonagall walked toward them, Hermione felt like she’d forgotten how to breathe. Her mind spun with panicked thoughts—being discovered, facing the professors’ disappointment, her parents’ sighs and sorrow...
Every possible consequence crowded her head.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps approached, and McGonagall’s stern, furious expression grew clearer with each step.
Just as Hermione was about to panic completely, she felt a small squeeze on her hand—it snapped her out of it just enough.
Whether it was some kind of instinct or understanding, Hermione suddenly grasped what Draco was trying to tell her.
Trust him.
Once he felt her calm slightly, Draco glanced toward Professor McGonagall from the corner of his eye.
He avoided looking directly at her—he wasn’t about to risk drawing attention.
Could the Disillusionment Charm hold up under scrutiny?
If this were the usual, sharp-eyed McGonagall, she might’ve sensed something.
But tonight, with no moonlight, and her face clouded by frustration, maybe—just maybe—they could slip by unnoticed...
Just as Draco had hoped.
Neither of them moved. They stood there like statues.
McGonagall’s footsteps didn’t stop. She walked right past them and quickly disappeared into the darkness.
Draco wasn’t sure how long it had been when he suddenly felt someone grab the back of his cloak.
It was the little witch—Hermione—legs gone weak from fear.
This time, Draco didn’t tease her. He could tell she was genuinely scared. Her trembling body was impossible to ignore.
He gave her hand a firm squeeze.
Then his gray eyes—catching a faint gleam in the darkness—shifted toward where McGonagall had vanished.
Something wasn’t right. The way she’d appeared—it was like she’d been waiting there on purpose.
Draco realized that if Hermione hadn’t been late, if they hadn’t wasted time messing around, they might’ve walked straight into a trap.
The Disillusionment Charm wasn’t perfect. To a powerful witch, it was far from foolproof.
If McGonagall hadn’t been distracted, or if she’d suspected that Draco knew how to cast it... they probably wouldn’t have gotten away tonight.
Clearly, luck had been on their side.
But still...
“Was the plan leaked?”
“Who could it have been?”
Draco’s eyes narrowed.
He, Draco Malfoy, never forgot a grudge.